Bladnoch 17 years old Limited Edition Single Lowland Malt Whisky 70 cl 46.7%

Californian red wine and Scottish Lowland malt are not an obvious pairing. It works anyway: the wine cask supplies colour and dark fruit while the spirit holds on to its lightness.

Expert description

Bladnoch 17 Years Limited Edition is a Single Lowland Malt Whisky matured in bourbon casks and Californian red wine casks and bottled at 46.7%.

The whisky first matured in used bourbon casks, which lay down vanilla and pale grain, and was then transferred to Californian red wine casks. Those deliver the cherry, prune and dark colour that is unusual for a Lowland malt.

The release is a limited bottling from the distillery in Galloway and belongs to the run of wine cask experiments Bladnoch has worked with over the years. Seventeen years is a high age for the region, and the combination of time and wine wood gives a whisky with more weight than the profile normally allows.

Tasting notes

Nose

Rich and fruity with dried fruit, cherry, coffee, vanilla and toffee, closing with a hint of sweet, spicy oak.

Palate

Spiced oak meets marmalade, cherries and prunes, held in balance by liquorice and cinnamon.

Finish

Long and dry with dark fruit slowly giving way to oak and a final flick of cinnamon.

Specifications

Name: Bladnoch 17 Years Limited Edition Single Lowland Malt Whisky 70 cl 46.7%
Distillery: Bladnoch
Region/Country: Lowlands, Scotland
Type: Single Lowland Malt Whisky
Age: 17 years
ABV: 46,7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks and Californian red wine casks
Edition: Limited Edition

Flavour profile

Fruity · Spiced · Wine matured · Dark · Elegant

Investment potential

Medium. A limited high-age release from a distillery whose production has been interrupted several times. Wine cask bottlings from Bladnoch exist only in small numbers.

Did you know?

Red wine casks take more work than sherry casks, because wine is lower in alcohol and leaves a wetter cask behind. Many distilleries dry and re-toast them before the whisky goes in.

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Frequently asked questions about Bladnoch 17 Years Limited Edition Single Lowland Malt Whisky 70 cl 46.7%

What does a red wine cask do to whisky?

It adds dark fruit, a light acidity and often a reddish tone to the colour. Unlike sherry casks, wine casks tend to give less nut and dried fruit and more fresh berry and cherry.

Is it sweet?

Medium sweet. Fruit from the wine cask creates an impression of sweetness, but liquorice, cinnamon and oak pull it in a drier direction on the finish.

Is it worth the money?

Seventeen years on a Lowland spirit is rare, and the combination with Californian red wine casks is an unusual cask history. The release is limited, and cask experiments of this kind are seldom repeated identically.

Does it pair with food?

Try it with dark chocolate, a cherry dessert or a mature hard cheese. The fruity cask character works better with sweet than with salty.

Is the colour natural?

The dark tone comes from the wine casks. Bladnoch does not state added colour on this release, and the cask history alone easily explains the hue.

What is the difference between maturation and finishing?

Full maturation means the whisky has spent all its time in the same cask type. Finishing means it is moved into a different cask type for the last months or years. Read more about cask influence in our blog.